Several staff members work in cubicles, and background conversations are getting picked up during online meetings. There can also be echo when people sitting nearby join the same call. We're looking for reliable Windows-compatible headsets with microphones that do a good job isolating the speaker's voice and reducing ambient office noise. USB or 3.5mm connections are both acceptable. Are business-oriented headsets a better choice than gaming models, and are there software settings we should enable as well?
5 Answers
The Cisco 561 SB has worked very well in an office setting, with virtually no complaints about background noise. It is expensive, though, so a Poly Blackwire or similar wired business headset may be a better choice when purchasing a large quantity.
If you have compatible NVIDIA hardware, NVIDIA Broadcast is another strong option. Its noise removal can filter conversations, keyboard noise, and other office sounds surprisingly well. It’s especially useful when replacing every headset isn’t practical.
Don’t overlook the meeting software’s noise suppression. Microsoft Teams has built-in background-noise reduction and voice-isolation options, and enabling those made a noticeable difference in a crowded office. Software filtering plus a decent boom mic may be more cost-effective than buying $200–$500 headsets for everyone.
Active noise cancellation in earbuds or headphones can help the wearer hear better, but it doesn’t necessarily stop the microphone from transmitting nearby conversations. For the microphone side, a focused boom mic and software noise suppression are generally more important than ANC alone.
A headset with a properly positioned boom microphone is usually the best starting point. Business models such as the Poly Blackwire or Voyager lines are designed for office calls and typically handle voice isolation better than many gaming headsets. Wired versions are often around $80–$100, while higher-end wireless models cost more.
That price range is more realistic for outfitting the whole office. We’ll probably compare a few Poly Blackwire models and test them with Teams’ voice-isolation settings before considering the much more expensive options.